Regrets
by SapphireStormAngel
Summary: When Optimus says something he regrets to the one femme he cares about, will he have enough time to apologise or will he be too late?


Regrets

A small dark blue sports car sped through the dry desert sands. Its black wheels seemed to have no trouble zooming between the towering dunes, and in fact seemed to be quite comfortable in a setting like this, an aspect not seen in most sports cars. Most observers, if any would have dared the burning landscape, would have hypothesised that the driver was furious if his speed and rugged style of driving was anything to go by, though they would have been thoroughly shocked if they even got a glimpse through the tinted glass windows for there wasn't a driver anywhere in sight. The car was driving without a driver and although it may have caused several heart attacks in any possible observers, she found it quite normal as it was in fact a female. A small emblem situated on her hood clearly identified her as an Autobot cybertronian, a fact known only to her allies and her enemies.  
One fact about her that was correct though, was that she was absolutely brimming with fury, the last of her common sense barely forcing her to stay in her alt form instead of transforming and destroying everything in her sight, not that there was much to destroy. She had no doubts that the cause of all her fury was following her across the barren landscape, but her speed vastly outmatched his and he was left behind in the dust long ago. The curses flew through her mind as she thought of that blasted Autobot leader, and trying unsuccessfully to forget his flawless red and blue design. Well…not that flawless anymore. She was confident that the strike she delivered to him would have at least scratched him paint job since it definitely sent him sprawling across the ground.  
Optimus Prime wasn't a bad leader, in fact he was one of the best she had ever seen, however he was very protective of his friends and it was that over protectiveness over her that frustrated her so much. It was Optimus that led her unit directly into battle back on Cybertron and she had never witnessed a battle that he couldn't turn around. If they couldn't win then he did what he could to save as many lives as he could, even risking his own life for theirs. Her life was one of the ones that he saved pushing her out of the way of an incoming missile that would have shattered her spark into a million pieces. That one single act was what caused them to become best friends, the gap in their age not making that much of a difference to either of them. She had been there for him when he fought against Megatron and almost lost his life, she had even been there when he lost his sparkmate in the war. She had never left his side but right now she couldn't even stand to look at him. He was well aware of her prowess in battle and her vast experience, yet that did not stop him from preventing her from entering any battle they faced here on Earth. She was always left with the three humans with a task of guarding them, far away from any action. It wasn't the only time his protectiveness was shown though as every trip outside the base she was to be accompanied by a guardian. Most of the times it was Bumblebee or Chromia, and on other days it was Optimus himself, including today. It was stifling, but at the same time she began to wonder whether it was because it was because he didn't trust her. It certainly seemed so feel so with the strange way he was behaving and the words exchanged between them earlier today and it crushed her spark to think it.  
Over the years she had developed an attraction for the bot, having to watch how much he loved Elita 1, and constantly being reminded that he would never feel the same way towards her even after Elita's death. The thought that he would never love her hurt, but compared to the fact that he didn't trust her it was like a mere tickle to her spark. She kept her feeling hidden and bottled up desperately trying to fix what was broken, but everything had to shatter at the end. His words echoed in her mind "You're just a problem to me!" She didn't want to be that to him and if he was happier with her absence then she would respectfully disappear. The thoughts circled her head like vultures occupying her mind and distracting her enough to miss the several small red bleeps that appeared on her radar heading straight for her. her wheels screeched desperately as she braked only to stop in front of a big white robot. His frame was slim and two massive wings were clearly folded against him back. It didn't take a genius to figure out who was standing before her.  
"Well, Well. What do we have here? It's rare to see a femme in a place like this, much less one as stunning as you Storm Breaker. Lord Megatron will be pleased."  
"Keep dreaming Starscream. I'll die before I let you take me to him."  
"That can be arranged Sweetspark, though I would rather hate to waste something as rare as you."  
Starscream raised his hand and 3 drones landed on the ground beside him, surrounding her from all sides their guns ready. Storm jumped high into the air just barely avoiding the blasts and firing two of her own hitting two of the drones straight in the chest, blasting them back into the sand. The third didn't have any time to dodge as she landed on top of him quickly ripping out his spark. There was no time to celebrate though as the moment she landed Starscream was on top of her firing blasts continuously at her. She managed to avoid most of them but he was faster than her and one of the blasts nicked her arm damaging some of the wiring controlling it there. The injury distracted her for a moment from her opponent but that was exactly what Starscream needed. Storm doubled over in shock as she felt something ice cold pierce her chest plate driving straight towards where her spark was. Energon pooled around her as she watched a grin appear on Starscream's face him hand about to retract with her life force before his hand was ripped out from her chest and he was gone from her vision.  
Any remaining strength that she may have had left her and she collapsed onto the hot sand below her. She could distinctly hear the sounds of metal scraping against metal from somewhere behind her but the lack of energon was putting a toll on her body and she couldn't turn. It felt like hours just lying there before Starscream started cursing and took off, his voice getting quieter and quieter with the distance. Instead a worried face appeared in my distorted vision, the red and blue paint easily distinguishable. It was warped in distress and Storm couldn't feel anything but regret at it. There she was again causing him to worry. Maybe she was just a problem after all. maybe he would be happy if she died here?  
"Storm? Storm breaker! Stay with me! Ratchet open a ground bridge immediately. Storm breaker is hurt and she's losing a lot of energon!"  
Her hearing was too weak to pick up Ratchet's reply but it seemed to have pushed Optimus into action. He pulled her up until she was resting her back against his chest and pressed his hand over her wound in an attempt to stem the bleeding. She knew that he was trying to help but it only brought on another wave of pain forcing her to close her optics in agony. Her body was giving up and she highly doubted that she would survive, and yet she still held on all for him. She didn't want him to blame himself.  
"Come on Storm breaker. Open your optics for me. Ratchet says you can't fall asleep or you might not wake up again. Come on, I…I can't lose you."  
"It's...not...not your...fault."  
She squeezed it out of her with her remaining strength. He needed to know that. She knew him well enough that he would blame himself for what happened here just like he did any of his friends died. She wanted to tell him that I was sorry at the horrible things she said to him but she was too weak. The pain was overwhelming and as her optics closed, she was bathed in complete darkness. Shouts erupted around her but she couldn't tell who they belonged too. One voice pierced through the others though, she could tell the panic and agony behind it. She wanted to reassure him but her mind was fading away and soon enough she fell into the oblivion, the shouts only getting quieter until they were gone for good.

It was a funny feeling. It felt as if half of her mind was awake and yet half of it wanted to remain in the warm embrace of the darkness. She could hear a blurred cacophony of voices around her and cold hands were against her chest doing something...she couldn't tell what. It was comfortable though and the agony wasn't there. She knew well that the moment she would wake up it would only return tenfold, and it was that thought that eventually pushed her back down into the dark. There was something stirring in her mind, a familiar voice yelling but she pushed it aside. It couldn't be that important could it?

The next time that Storm became conscious again was different. There wasn't shouting or movement, in fact everything was still and silent. her optics flickered slightly but the bright light in the room quickly forced them back down.  
"Storm Breaker? Are you awake?"  
A voice came from her right and she fully opened her optics this time taking in the sight of the Autobot leader sitting beside her. His face was twisted in worry and pain but she could discern a slight hope within his own light blue gems. Looking around she noticed that they were in the Autobot med centre but there was no one else inside except them, not even Ratchet. Trying to sit up she doubled over in pain originating from her chest. her hand flew towards the source but another hand beat her to it. Optimus gently put his other hand on her back and helped her to lean against the wall beside the smooth steel table she was occupying. Her brain was trying to force her to push him away but even if she had the strength to do so, the sudden guilty look on his face would have stopped her in her tracks.  
"Careful. Ratchet did a lot of work on you and any sudden movements might rip it apart."  
"What happened?"  
"You were attacked by Starscream when you sped ahead of me. He missed your spark but he managed to hit a sensitive energon spot. You lost a lot of it but Ratched managed to stem the flow in time."  
She wanted to believe him, but she knew him for a long time and had learned a long time ago when he was hiding something from her. he could never hold eye contact with her when it happened and right now his optics were firmly stuck onto the ground below them with no visible signs of moving.  
"What else Optimus?"  
"What?"  
"Don't even try hiding it from me."  
He released a sigh before looking straight at her. She could see the overbearing guilt in his face and the utter hopelessness that she never would have thought to see on the Autobot leader. He was always so composed and firm. This wasn't anything like him.  
"You died."  
"What do you…"  
"I mean we lost you! Twice! Ratchet barely managed to bring you back the second time. You almost died without knowing…"  
"Knowing what Optimus."  
The way he suddenly shied away from her told her that he didn't mean for that to slip out. Storm could already see the gears in his head working out a way to get out of this situation but she wasn't about to let it go. Not this time.  
"Know what Optimus? Why you've been so overbearing these last few weeks or maybe what horrible thing I did to lose your trust?!"  
"You didn't lose my…"  
"Well then why! Am I really just a problem to you?"  
"No!"  
"Then why!"  
"Because I can't lose you!"  
Silence enveloped the two bots in the room as Storm stared at Optimus incredulously. What did he mean that he couldn't lose her? It was his actions that pushed her away in the first place. Seeing that she wasn't going to say anything Optimus sighed before continuing.  
"After I lost Elita 1 I thought that I wouldn't move on. Then you came into my life and everything changed. Suddenly I wasn't thinking about her anymore but what our life would look like. The pain was just too much to take before and I realised that going through it again would destroy me. I acted the way I did because I didn't want you to get hurt. A lot of good that did."  
He lifted his hand and looked at the scar that ran down my chest where Starscream injured her. One of his fingers traced it gently but quickly retracted when she winced in pain, his own spark twisting it the same feeling. She would never forgive him for what he did to her. It was his fault that she was here lying in pain. It was his fault that she almost slipped away from him twice still thinking that he hated her. That she was only a problem to him. He was so deep in thought that he didn't notice Storm moving until her hands rested on his cheeks and directed his face to look straight at her.  
"Why? Why didn't you just tell me?"  
"What was the chance that you would feel the same? All I seem to be able to do is to hurt you."  
"That's not true. If it wasn't for you pushing me out of the way that day then I would have been dead a long time ago. More than that I would have never met the best bot I had ever known, and I would have never got the chance to fall in love with him."  
He looked into her optics in shock at her confession, unable to word any coherent replies. Instead he leaned forward gently never breaking contact with her optics, ready to back away at any sight of fear or rejection. When nothing like that appeared he allowed his lips to gently graze hers before going back, fully dominating them this time around. Storm breaker replied in turn wrapping one of her arms around his head careful of her own wound. While the two were in their own world the rest of the Autobots and the three humans watched silently from the doorway, broad grins adorning their faces.  
"It's about time those two got together. I was getting tired of trying to get Optimus to relax and concentrate on his job instead of her."  
"Oh shush Ratchet. Not everything is about work."  
despite the small bickering about who was right, there was one thing that everyone in the room was confident in. Optimus Prime and Storm Breaker were the perfect couple and it would take heaven and hell themselves to break them apart again.


End file.
